Jarell Quansah has admitted ‘it wasn’t a nice feeling’ after being hauled off at half-time in Arne Slot’s first game in charge but says he accepted the decision of the new Liverpool boss.
Quansah was named in the starting XI alongside Virgil van Dijk as Jurgen Klopp’s successor got his first taste of Premier League action against Ipswich Town on the opening weekend of the season.
With the game goalless at the break, Slot made the decision to take off Quansah with Ibrahima Konate coming on for the England Under-21 star. The Reds went onto score twice in the second-half to secure the 2-0 win.
Slot explained after the game the changed was a tactical one, fearing his side were losing too many physical battles.
‘First thing was we don’t have to speak about tactics if you don’t lose so many duels,’ Slot said.
‘Not that Jarell [Quansah] lost every duel – many of us lost too many duels – but I think we needed Konate to win the long balls through the air from their number nine. That helped and gave us control.’
Quansah has not featured since that afternoon, sitting out as an unused substitute in wins over Brentford and Manchester United.
With Konate re-establishing his partnership with van Dijk at the heart of defence, Quansah is waiting for his chance to come back into the side and reclaim his place.
‘It’s never a nice feeling as a footballer to be subbed off at half-time,’ Quansah told The Times. ‘But at the end of the day, it was the gaffer’s decision – obviously it worked.
‘I can only focus on myself and try to improve. I purposely trained the next day so I could get it out of my head and kick on and look forward to the next game, really.
‘That’s all it’s ever been, I’ve just been waiting for the opportunity.’
Liverpool return to action against Nottingham Forest on Saturday afternoon.
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